There are many reasons why children in Africa are not able to complete or even attend school.  One of the major reasons behind this is the travel time from one’s home to the school building.  Most kids have to walk upwards of one hour each way.  With scarce amounts of food and sunlight needed to gather this food, these two hours each day are extremely valuable to families, as many parents need their older children at home to look after the younger ones.  One of Rita’s after school chores is to help take care of her younger sister while her parents work in the family garden.

The Balama Development Alliance is committed to ensuring that all girls and boys are able to realize their full potential. We know that children will flourish if they are able to not only attend school but also remain through completion.  Children that remain in school are able to develop basic skills in literacy, mathematics, life and critical thinking.  BDA promotes the education of African children by supporting education and business development initiatives that help parents start and grow small, self-sustaining businesses.  In addition to the income that the family earns through its small business, a family owned small business allows mothers to stay at home and both run the business as well as care for the family.  This in turn allows children who are old enough to attend school. You can be a part of this endeavor by providing small seed money as micro-loans to help a family start and grow their small business.